MLB.com's Carrie Muskat has been covering Major League Baseball since 1981 and is the author of "Banks to Sandberg to Grace: Five Decades of Love and Frustration with the Cubs." You can follow her on Twitter @CarrieMuskat. Here, she blogs about the Cubs.

9/8 Free agents & more

After Monday’s game, Derrek Lee was asked what if the Cubs brought back most of the same players, could the results be totally different?

“It could be totally different [in 2010],” Lee said. “There are so many variables in baseball. I don’t think it’s like other sports when you can kind of talk things up. Guys have down years. You see it all the time. This year, it just happened we had a few guys who were either hurt or had down years. But you fully expect those guys to be back and rebound.”

For those of you looking ahead, the free agents to be on the Cubs’ roster include:

11 Comments

The key will be next year’s payroll budget because there is already a ridiculous amount of money allocated to the players we have returning.

I believe the $122M already committed (plus players offered arbitration) is more than the entire payroll for the ’08 team was; therefore, it’s hard for me to imagine too many drastic changes. But with new ownership, it’s very difficult to speculate.

Of the 4 free agents Hendry must keep Grabow as he is one of the few LOGICAL acquisitons Hendry made this year, plus, if he loses Grabow the Kevin Hart deal looks a lot more suspect even though Gorzelany seems to be at least a SERVICABLE pitcher. As far as Reed Johnson goes I’m sorry to say he has reached a point in his career (age, injury…) that his contract money should be spent more wisely, he can easily be replaced by a rookie such as Fuld. Harden is a little tougher, which Harden shows up next year? Hendry must offer him a contract in order to get draft pick compensation in case he walks. If he accepts the contract he’s a reasonable gamble to keep in the rotation. Gregg…Ha…OMG!!! I’m still laughing. I still think Hendry should be fired just for signing Soriano to an 8 year deal and Miles for two….Good Lord, Miles again next year… Hendry again next year….
I don’t see how Derek Lee can think Soriano and Bradley will rebound. Soriano will rebound to be the exceptional outfielder…HE NEVER WAS, and Bradley will rebound to be the exceptional LEFT handed hitter…HE NEVER WAS, and Fukodome will rebound to be the exceptional center fielder and offensive juggernaut…HE NEVER WAS. Only Aram can “rebound” to perform to WHAT HE WAS, and that’s if his shoulder is completely healed.

Next year’s payroll budget…? You think the Ricketts will actually allow HENDRY to spend more??? Hendry laid the groundwork for next year back with the Soriano mistake. No matter what Hendry does with some players (trade them, release them, have them wash cars…) next year’s payroll will be going to Soriano, Bradley, Miles & Fukodome no matter what team they play for or what bench they’re warming. Because of such poor years from Soriano, Fukodome and Bradley the contracts are already lagging, these guys wold have to hit .350, drive in 140 runs AND CATCH THE BALL (exception to Fukodome, he CAN catch) in order to get a return! Thanks AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN Jimmy!!!

You would think that Lou Pinella would learn from his mistake of letting Derosa go last year when it was determined that he was expendable at second base. Hell, Derosa didn’t even play 2B most of the time. His value was as a versatile player who could almost play anywhere. If he would have played only 2B and given the chance to excel at one position, maybe he would still be an asset to the Cubs organization. Now, Lou is doing it again but this time it’s with Fontenot. He played Font out of position at 3B this season while Ramirez was injured and expected the same production he had at his normal 2B position. It appears now that Lou has benched Fontenot (9 HR, 39 RBI) for Baker (3 HR, 16 RBI) even though last week Font made a #1 and #3 web gem in one week. Lou won’t acknowledge he made a mistake not giving Derosa credit for playing out of position last year and he’s doing it again this year with Fontenot.

Carrie, good job pointing out Hendry was the one that let DeRosa go, even if Lou was “allowing” it to happen.
Maybe nwrain meant that Lou’s “crying” for more left handed hitters is what prompted Hendry to trade THE MOST VERSATILE, PRODUCTIVE PLAYER ON THE TEAM??? Hendry should have known better….oh…the shame of it all.

Hmmm… I was hoping everybody would pick up on HENDRY BEING THE HEART OF THE PROBLEM, not just one of his many overated players like Soriano. Whether Hendry deals with Japan to sign a player (Fukodome) or trades a player (Soriano-which WON’T HAPPEN, this is just hypothetical to get my point accross) Hendry will get the raw end of the deal. I wouldn’t trust Hendry to order japanese take-out.

HEY JOEYDAFISH I ALSO BELIEVE THAT BRADLEY AND FUKODOME WILLBE BETTER NEXT YEAR BUT FUKODOME IS NOT A CENTER FIELDER HE NEED TO BE IN LEFT OR RIGHT AND BRAGLEY GET THE ONE THAT LEFT CORNER OUT FIELD SPOT WE NEED SPEED IN AT LEASE THREE POSITION STARTING AT SECOND BASE AND CENTER FIELD I LOVE THERIOT BECAUSE HE WILL GIVE HIS ALL HE CAN STAY AT SS AND BAT SECOND IF WE GET A REAL NICE LEADOFF HITTERWITH REAL SPEED JUST BY OUT SOME OF THESE OUT WAGES SALARY IT TIME FOR HENDRY TO STEP UP AND AMMITTED THAT HE PAY TO MUST FOR SOME OVERATED PLAYER AND TO TRUST THE FARM HE DRAFTED THEM SO USE THEM

Roman121, both Bradley and Fukodome underachieved so much this year it wouldn’t take much for them to be better next year, doesn’t mean they’ll be GOOD or at least good enough. Bradley certainly won’t be any better DEFENSIVLEY. The whole outfield was a Hendry DISASTER!!

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